Would you ride an electric bike?

“Daimler, who owns Smart (they prefer not to capitalize the ‘s’, but I just think it looks weird and confusing, so I’ll capitalize it), the maker of small urban two-seat cars, has decided to get into the electric bike business. They seem to have spent a lot of time on design, because the end result looks both futuristic and practical, which is rare. In fact, the design is so good that it was awarded the “Best of the Best” prize for top design quality at the Red Dot Awards.
The first units of the Smart Electric Bicycle are beginning to be delivered in Europe right now, and the e-bike should also be available in the U.S. “soon”, though no official date has been released yet.” (This article suggests it will be in a few months.)

The first barrier will be the price. At 2,849 euros, that’s about $3,600. Even assuming 19% off because of the VAT, that’s over $2,900; add the sales tax and it’s well over three grand.

And I don’t see drivers being any more receptive to e-bikes than they are to traditional ones. (I had someone just this week tell me I was “supposed” to be riding my bike on the sidewalk. WRONG.)

Hey, none of the people in the ad are wearing helmets, which would make ME nervous.